Kaser named Ray Guy Award watch list

AUGUSTA, Ga. --- Texas A&M junior punter Drew Kaser was named to the 2014 preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top collegiate punter.

Kaser, from Strongsville, Ohio, will be the lone specialist among the players appearing at next week’s Southeastern Conference Media Days in Hoover, Ala. Also representing the Aggies will be senior cornerback Deshazor Everett (DeRidder, La.) and senior offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi (Allen, Texas).

A finalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2013, Kaser also earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors and first-team All-America honors from The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. In his first season as a starter, Kaser led the SEC with a 47.4 punt average, which also broke the old A&M record of 47.0 set by perennial NFL All-Pro Shane Lechler in 1997. Kaser booted 17 50-yard-plus punts, had 17 “coffin corner” efforts and forced 14 fair catches. Just 16 of his 44 total punts were returnable in 2013.

Kaser is the lone returning Ray Guy Award finalist, and one of just three returning semifinalists (Cameron Johnston of Ohio State and Mike Sadler of Michigan State).

The number of eligible candidates for the Ray Guy Award will grow when the award opens for nominations in September. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 31. In early November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 14. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, coaches, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists, to be announced on November 24. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during TheHome Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN on Thursday, December 11, 2014.